“It is also a chance to look to the future – previous Nuneaton carnival queens have gone on to earn many honours, including one who became Miss Commonwealth and another who won a beauty contest at Disneyland Paris.”

The 2010 queen will be officially crowned in the town centre on Charter Day in mid-May, reviving an old tradition, and she will also receive prizes donated by local businesses, plus the opportunity to travel to the grand carnival competition at Disneyland.